Can I drill a wall treated for damp?

[svouts]

After damp treating and decorating the walls, it is time to re-install the radiators.
I asked the damp proofing company how low on the walls should I drill for attaching the radiator brackets so I do not cause any damage on the damp treatment.

They told me there is no problem as long as is not earth retaining wall. They also told me to bed the raw plugs in with a silicone resin.

The ground outside my bay window is about 10 inches higher that the floor inside. Would this make it an earth retaining wall?

Also how do I bed the raw plugs in with a silicone resin?

 

[noseall]

7mm drill bit, brown rawl plugs, drill a few holes and away you go.

Dunno what the heck he is on about regards silicone resin.

Just crack on and fix yer rad'.

The ground outside my bay window is about 10 inches higher that the floor inside. Would this make it an earth retaining wall?

No, but it may make the wall inside damp. Were you not advised to lower the external ground level by anyone?

 

[svouts]

I was told that the damp proofing for the wall will be sufficient to treat the damp and that should not re-appear. This is the reason I want to be careful with drilling holes on this wall since the lower holes for the radiator brackets will be just another 10 inches above the external ground.

Will it work if I try to make some floor standing brackets and just glue the wall brackets with “No More nails” glue?

This way the wall brackets will hold the radiator just from moving horizontally and the weight will be on the floor support.

For the silicone resin, I understand that when I drill the holes for the plugs I need to inject some silicone resin inside the hole. This way it may insulate the holes and stop the dump coming through? I am not sure what it is to be honest?

 

[spannerzone]

When I had some damp treatments and replastering done some years ago, before I'd heard about some of the alternative theories of 'rising damp' - I was told the same thing by the builders, drill the hole, fill with silicon and plug n' screw as per usual.

Whether it's just to cover themselves and the 25 guarantee I don't know but that's what I was told.

I imagine that possibly some of the damp barrier tratement is the plaster with it's damp preventing additives as much as the injected chemical itself and so drilling a hole would potentially cause a path for damp to go through, filling with silicon would help plug this hole.

The whole thing makes me wonder, having read some articles about damp it seems that often these treatments may not always stop the damp but simply block the damp from showing on your painted /papered walls by trapping any present moisture behind the plaster.

Rising damp is considered by some as a myth and consider many damp treatments hide rather than cure the issues.

 

[naffoff]

After damp treating and decorating the walls, it is time to re-install the radiators.

What kind of damp proofing treatment took place?

If it was a tanking membrane (like the John Newton products) you're supposed to fix things as you've described. Same may apply for cementitious products.

Either way, to bed in: when you've drilled the hole, add the mastic/resin and pop the plug in. Then you should be able to fix the brackets as usual.

 

[svouts]

any recommendation on what type or brand of silicone resin should I use?

 

[hotrod]

I don't suppose it really matters for your application, but I try and only use Dow Corning because there is a lot of cheap nasty carp around.

 

[svouts]

Thanks
I did check for Dow Corning products and they are so many, which of them to use?

 

[hotrod]

Either of the 781 will be fine:-

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dow-corning-781-clear/32576

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dow-corning-781-white/45959